Brett Pesce was born on November 15, 1994 in Tarrytown, New York. Following his freshman season at the University of New Hampshire, Pesce was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the third round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

Pesce opted to forgo his final collegiate season and inked a three-year deal with Carolina on March 27, 2015. He then joined the Hurricanes' AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, for the final four games of the 2014–15 regular season.

Pesce would begin the 2015-16 season with the Checkers, but was in short-order recalled by Carolina and made his NHL debut on October 24, 2015. The defenceman would go on to appear in 69 games for the Hurricanes, scoring four times and adding 12 assists.